Plaster-bandage machine



July 28, 1925.

I A. G. cooK PLASTER BANDAGE MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1923 bandages Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES ANSEL G. COOK, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PLASTER-BANDAGE MACHINE.

Application filed January 29, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LANsnL G. Coon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Plaster-Bandage Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus designed to prepare and roll plaster bandages, that is, those bandages which consist of a fabric, commonly crinoline, with the interstices of the fabric impregnated with plaster of Paris, that are used by surgeons in hospitals for wrapping broken bones, limbs and joints. Too little plaster makesthe ineffective. Too much plaster renders the bandages bulky and difficult to uniformly soak; Bandages loosely rolled are not easily handled and thosetoo tightly rolled will not soak satisfactorily. v

Machines have been proposed for making such bandages but mostly such machines have been complicated, requiring the service .of skilled operators and owing to the nature of the plaster they have failed to pro duce uniformly satisfactory bandages, as

well as being expensive to manufacture.

Consequently it'has been common practice in hospitals to make these bandages by running out a length of the fabric, such as crinoline, and rub, powdered plaster ofParis into the interstices of the fabric by hand, which is a slow, tedious, andon'the whole an unsatisfactory method of procedure.

The object of the present invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive apparatus particularly adapted for hospital service, that-can be successfully manipulated so as to rapidly produce I bandages charged with just the required quantity of plaster that are uniformly rolled with the desired tension for successful soaking, and satisfactory application by an unskilled operator, as a nurse. This object is attained by arranging on a vbed means for receiving an uncharged roll of bandage fabric and a reel for rolling the plaster charged fabric, with means intermediate these elements for ironing the I charge of plaster into the interstices of the fabric as it is drawn from the uncharged roll to the winding reel, such ironing means being adjustable in order that the required charge may be forced into the fabric and being movable to permit a quick cleaning of Serial No. 615,603.

the bed along which the fabric is drawn. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a plan of an apparatus which embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a front dle 4 which is thrust through the uncharged roll of bandage fabric. The spindle has a handle 5, and two collars 6 arranged to prevent the spindle from longitudinalimovement when it is laid with the bandage roll Fig. 3 shows in the notched upper ends of the posts. At,

the other end on the top of the bed are upright brackets 7. In these brackets spools 8 are rotatably mounted on suitable bearings. In each spool are a pair of holes 9. The winding reel shown comprises two pairs of rods 10 that project from a hub 11- to which is fastened a crank arm 12 with a handle 13. The reel rods are designed so that they may be freely thrust through or withdrawn from the pairs of holes in the rotatable spools mounted in the brackets.

Between the spindle supports and reel carrier'is the ironing member. This ironing member consists of a weighted plate 14 provided with arms 15 that are hinged by pintles 16 to lugs 17 secured to the top of the bed between the ironing member and the reel. At the lower edge of this plate is a foot 18 the bottom face of which is inclined with relation to the plane of the upper face a of the bed. The narrowest part of the opening between the foot and the bed is toward the reel. Set screws 19 are threaded through. the foot against the upper surface ofthe bed, and'held by clamping nuts 20 for adjusting the height of the opening between the under side of the foot and the top of the bed.

In use the spindle is thrust through an uncharged roll of bandage fabric, as crino line, of common length and width and.v laid in the notches of the spindle supports. The free end of the fabric is drawn from the spindle over the bed and beneath the ironing member. After a quantity of plaster plaster of Paris tween the two rods. The reel is then turned,

desirably counter-clockwise, so as to draw the fabric beneath the lronlng member and Wind it up on the reel. As the fabric passes under the heavy ironing member it carries with it the desired quahtity of the powdered and this" plaster, owing to the inclined under face and Weight of the ironing member, is pressedinto the inters'tices of the fabric so that' the powder will remain in the fabric While the bandage is bein Wound up on the reel. The ironing mem er, of course, spreads, the plaster uniformly and preyents undesirable surplus from being carried albng on the surface of the fabric. After the entire strip of fabric has been filled with plaster and Wound upon the reel the bandage roll is grasped by the hand and the reel drawn out axially. When the'cha'rged bandage has been removed the ironing member is swung oven toward the reel leayi'ng the bed free to be wipe'd' clean before starting the filling of another bandage.

This apparatus is inexpensive to build and can be successfully manipulated by an unskilled operator. The plaster is uniformly spread throiighout the interstices of the fabric, 7 the desired quantity is thoroughly ironed into the interstices of the fabric, and the bandage is Wound With the required tension necessary for it to absorb the proper amount of- Water Wllll it is soaked, as it is just before use. Furthermore; the reel rods leaife an opening in the center of the roll so that the Water will permeate from the inside Well the outside ensuring an even Wetting.

The invention claimed is:

1. A bandage machine comprising bed, means for renioyably supporting an uncharged roll of bandage fabric, a removable reel for winding the charged bandage fabric, Weight intermediatesaid support and reel for ironing plaster into the interstices' ofjthe' fabric as the bandage stfip is drawn from the support and Wound upon the reel, and nealis located between the reel and Weight hifiging' the Weight at each side of the bandage path to the bed Wherei by the Weight maybe swun on said hingi'fi iiiean's overthe bandage path toward and from the reel? A 2. A bandage machine comprising a bed, means as snppbiting an un harga r611 0f bandage "fabric; reel for Winding the charged bandage fabric, and a3 weiglitd member hinged at eachend to the bed between the reel and" Weight fbr ironing plaster into the interstices of the fabric as the bandage strip is drawn from the support and Wound iipon the reel.

. 3. A bandage machine comprising a bed, means for supporting an uncharged roll of bandage fabric," a reel for Wiinding the charged bandage fabric, and a freely swinging Weight hinged to the bedby' pivots at each side of the bandage path from said 'suppofting means to" the reelaiid intermediate said support enamel for ironing plaster into the'intersftic'e's of the fabric as the bandage strip is drawn from the support and Wound upon the reel.

4. A bandagemachine comprisihg a bed, means for supporting an uncharged roll of bandage fabric, a reel for Winding the charged bandage fabric," a Weighted menibe hinged to the" bed by pivots atea'ch side of thebantlage path from saia suppoaing meanstothe reel and intermediate said support and reel foaironin plaster into the interstices of the fabric as the bandage strip is drawn frointhe support andWoiin-d upon the reel, and: adjusting straws threaded through the weight" for determinmg the heightof the; space between, the bottom of the weighted member and the top of the bed. p

5. bandage machine comprising abed, means for removably suppdi ting alspindle at one endof the bed, means for s' ippo'rting a reel at the other end of the bed, ai ins pivoted to'the bed ateach side (if thepath from one support toganother, and a Weight attached to said arms intermediate said supports, said Weight having an inclined under area, for ironing'plaster Hate the interstices of the fabric as a bandage strip is drawn beneath the weight.

6. A bandage machine" comprising ajbed, meansfor supporting reel near one end of thebe'd, means for rotating the reel and thereby drawing a strip of bandage fabric across the bed a'nd Winding it upon the reel. arms pivoted to the bed at eachsi de of the path of bandage fabriebeing Wound u on the reel, a Weight atta hed to an arms, said Weight having an inclined under face for. ironing plaster into theinterstices cf the fabric as? the banaagea p is drawn beneath the eight, and adjustingscre vs loosely supporting the Weight and determining as distance between the inclined under face of the eight and thetop' gi'f the bed, the opening between the bottoih of the Weight and top of thebed being contracted toward the reel. p

a ANSEL e. coon, 

